Just wanted to add that if you're working for a nonprofit and planning to file for unemployment in the future, make sure you keep good records of your employment. Some smaller nonprofits aren't great with their NYS Department of Labor paperwork and you might need to provide extra documentation when you file your claim.

As someone who works in nonprofit administration, I can confirm what others have said - most nonprofits in NY are definitely covered under unemployment insurance. One thing that might help clarify the situation for you is to check your most recent pay stub more carefully. Even if your employer uses the reimbursable method (so no UI deductions from your pay), they should still be reporting your wages to NYS Department of Labor quarterly. You can also ask your HR person or whoever handles payroll to confirm which method your organization uses. If they seem unsure about their obligations, that might be a red flag that they need to get their compliance in order with the state.

Just wanted to add that even if your church is exempt, it's still worth keeping track of your hours and wages there for documentation purposes. You never know when that information might be needed for other benefit programs or if the church changes their election status in the future.

I went through something similar when I worked at a nonprofit with religious ties. The key thing is to check your actual paystub - if you see "SUTA" or "State Unemployment" being deducted, then your church is participating in the system. If not, they're likely exempt. Also, don't forget that you can always create an online account with NYS Department of Labor to view your wage history and see which employers have reported wages for you. That's probably the most reliable way to know for sure without having to ask your employer directly.

This thread has been so incredibly helpful! I'm in week 9 of waiting for my first payment and was starting to think I was the only one dealing with this nightmare. Reading about everyone's interstate wage verification issues is eye-opening - I worked remotely for a company based in California for about 3 months last year while living here in NY, and I bet that's what's causing my delay too. The fact that the system gives us absolutely zero indication that these verifications are happening in the background is infuriating. We're left thinking we did something wrong or our claims got lost when really it's just bureaucratic delays behind the scenes. I've been trying to call for weeks with no success, but I'm going to try the Claimyr service that @facf45268409 mentioned since traditional calling clearly isn't working. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and advice - this community support is literally the only thing keeping me sane right now!

I'm so glad this thread exists! I've been dealing with the exact same situation for the past 7 weeks - filing weekly certifications that get accepted but absolutely no payments coming through. Reading about all these interstate wage verification issues is really enlightening because I worked in Virginia for about 6 months last year before moving back to NY. I had no idea this could be causing my delay! The system literally gives us zero indication that any verification is happening in the background, which is completely unacceptable. I've tried calling dozens of times at different hours with no luck getting through. I'm definitely going to try mentioning the Virginia wage verification specifically if I ever reach a human, and I'm seriously considering the Claimyr service after seeing multiple people here say it worked for them. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - it's the only way we can figure out what's actually happening with these broken systems!

Filed twice in the past year unfortunately - once in February 2024 and again in November when I got laid off AGAIN. Second time was definitely faster, maybe because I was already in their system? Both times had to do the job search log which is annoying but not too bad if you stay on top of it.

The whole system is a mess if you ask me. Filed in June and they flagged my claim for some random reason, took 8 weeks to sort out. No explanation, just 'additional review required.' Meanwhile bills don't stop coming...

The real question is how many people SHOULD be on unemployment vs how many actually are. I know tons of people who got denied for BS reasons or gave up fighting the system. NYS Department of Labor makes it so hard to navigate that a lot of eligible people just stop trying.

From what I've seen working with clients in the benefits space, the official numbers don't tell the whole story. While NYS might report 180k-200k active claimants, there's a significant "hidden" population who either got discouraged by the process or are stuck in appeals limbo. The adjudication backlog is real - I'd estimate there are probably another 50k+ people waiting for decisions. Your 3-week wait is unfortunately normal, but don't lose hope. Keep documenting everything and consider reaching out to your local assemblyperson's office if it goes past 6 weeks - they sometimes have direct lines to help expedite cases.